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Karen Showalter

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Karen is a Campaign Director for the Food Justice Team and the Pennsylvania State Moms Force. She has previously worked with Oxfam International, Netcentric Campaigns, Americans for Informed Democracy, and the Bank Information Center, and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger. She is currently the Board Chair of AMP Global Youth, a virtual, youth-powered network amplifying the youth voice around global issues. Karen has spoken and written extensively on networks, new media and social change. She has degrees from Princeton University (MPA) and University of Michigan (BA). A Master Gardener and mom of two, she can often be found either planting seeds or telling little ones to please not yank the plants out of the ground... Connect with Karen at @karen_showalter or www.terratrope.com.

When did you realize moms have superpowers?

“I realize moms have superpowers every day. And always in the supermarket. Anyone shopping while containing one or more squirmy, curious little ones deserves a medal.”

Blog Post List

Happy Friday! We're back with our handy list of top actions from the past week, ready for you to review, sign and share. This week we're focusing on real solutions to paid family and medical leave, and speaking out about maternal health, as well as breastfeeding. We're also eager to hear your experiences with the school to prison pipeline and/or caesarean section. As always, your voice — and your stories — make a HUGE difference. Thank you for all you do! Here's the top #5Actions list of the week -> 1. Tell the U.S. Senate: Support the FAMILY Act, Not Fake Solutions! BACKGROUND: U.S...

We are SO INSPIRED by the hundreds of thousands (yes! HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS) of people who rallied last weekend all over the country in support of immigrant children and families! Your voices are making a difference! We have already defeated two very bad immigration bills in the last few weeks because Congress heard the outraged voices of people like you! This week we're continuing to speak out about immigration, and demanding Wells Fargo stop financing private prison corporations that are profiting off the pain and separation of families. We're also sharing important actions around gun...

It's been a week, friends. As we head into the weekend, our urgent message to you is that we are powerful, and our voices matter. This week we're speaking out about immigration, and celebrating some inspiring wins. We're also sharing helpful ways to support immigrants in your community, and a reminder to reach out to your elected officials about family separation. Please read, share, and flex those parent powers! 1. Join us to say #FamiliesBelongTogether this Saturday June 30! MomsRising members and staff are on the ground at #FamiliesBelongTogether events across the country on Saturday June...

Families belong together. Taking kids away from their parents is traumatizing and immoral. This week our #5Actions list focuses on impactful actions you can take around family separation and detention. The timing could not be more urgent. Thank you to everyone who spoke up on behalf of asylum-seeking families at the border so far! The failure of damaging immigration legislation to pass Congress this week, and also the Executive Order (EO), proves that the voices of moms, dads and people are powerful. But this EO does not stop the Trump administration from continuing human rights abuses, like...

June is LGBTQ Pride Month, and all of us at MomsRising are excited to celebrate—and we also recognize how much work we still have to do to reach full LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, etc) equality in our country. This Pride Month, let’s remember that policies that impact people in LGBTQ+ communities impact us all. Scroll down to request your free MomsRising Pride Month signs! Other top actions this week include speaking out about bump stocks, family separation and childcare. We're also looking for inspired members to host KeepMarching book parties! You in? Sign up below!...

Can you believe it's already June? Kids are getting out of school, temperatures are heating up, and hopefully you'll have some time to relax and recharge a bit! To make taking action as easy as possible, we're once again packaging our most urgent campaigns of the past week into one easy #5Actions list, below. Please take a moment to scroll down and make sure you've added your voice to timely actions around immigration, SNAP, equal pay and more! Then head on out and enjoy some time with family and friends this weekend. Thank you for all you do! 1. Join Us to Say: It's Past Time For Equal Pay!...

Indeed the world is heavy with challenges right now. But there's some good news too: in the contest for our kids' health, we're winning. Thanks to you in recent years: schools now offer healthier meals and snacks; many restaurants offer kids healthier drink options; and chain restaurants now display information about calories and nutrition. Win-win-win for parents and families! Next up: healthier foods for our littlest learners! This year updates to meals and snacks offered in child and adult care centers will go into effect. Most exciting: these updates will support breastfeeding, fruits and...

Today's a big day, as MomsRising joins partners in hosting a National Day of Action for Children in cities across the nation. We are at a critical point in history: We are horrified to share that it is now official US immigration policy to routinely and intentionally separate children from their parents at our southern border. Hundreds of children have already been ripped from their families. We cannot let the practice that Trump has put into place of purposely separating children from their moms and families to continue. We cannot allow human rights violations in the name of immigration...

We're back with our latest #5Actions list of our most important campaigns this week. One of our top actions this week is urging the U.S. Congress to protect SNAP (food stamps). A study found that over 1:4 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan struggle with food insecurity [1]. Shocking on this Memorial Day weekend, right? We must do better. We're also keeping the pressure on around gun safety in the wake of multiple new school shootings this month and almost 2 dozen school shootings this year. This is unacceptable. In addition, protecting immigrant families and our kids' privacy online...

Think your kids spend too much time on social media? You’re not alone. Many of with kids know how quickly devices and social media can consume their attention and energy. Scary right? So why is Facebook trying to lure young and younger kids onto its platform, with its new Messenger Kids app, Facebook's first app specifically designed for kids under 13? As parents, we know that’s too young. Indeed there are helpful learning tools and websites our kids can use. But spending additional time, at a younger age, on a messaging tool? Eek. That just goes too far. Join us to tell Facebook to...

This week, we find our hearts broken again, this time for the victims of the shooting at Santa Fe High School, their loved ones and their community. It is not even summer and already there have been 22 shootings at schools in our country this year. One school shooting would be horrifying; 22 is catastrophic and absolutely unacceptable. Call Congress now and demand action on gun safety: 1-888-496-4842. This week we also celebrate victories stopping the attack on SNAP in the U.S. House of Representatives, and with a Senate vote to stop the FCC's decision to repeat net neutrality. Our work on...

As we head into the Mother's Day weekend, we want to pause and THANK all of the parents, parent figures, grandparents and caregivers in our lives. We are so thankful for ALL OF YOU, and for your tireless energy for stepping up and speaking out about issues facing our families, our communities and our nation. We're honored to do this work alongside you. This week's top #5Actions includes our lineup of urgent campaigns around issues like family separation and protecting kids' data, as well as a special offer to give the new Keep Marching book to someone you love this Mother's Day (with all...

Amazon is about to release an Echo Dot smart speaker for kids. The company envisions the Alexa-powered device in children’s bedrooms, capturing their questions, requests for music and favorite stories. What could possibly go wrong?! While Amazon’s marketing touts kid-friendly features, it leaves out some very important details about how the Echo Dot will safeguard children’s privacy. Join us in asking Amazon to update its product page to tell parents exactly what it will do with kids' data . We're sending a note to Jeff Bezos and Amazon that says: Dear Jeff Bezos and Amazon: How will you use...

It's May - a month of great things! First up: Kristin's new book Keep Marching has launched! The book is part guide, part inspiration to building the world we seek, and part call to action. See more on a special opportunity to share Keep Marching with a woman you love for Mother's Day, below. And yes - Mother's Day is coming up too! It's so important to pause and thank the parents and parent-figures in our lives... And we're so thankful for all of YOU and your tireless energy for stepping up and speaking out about issues facing our families. This week's top #5Actions list also includes hot...

We're back with our top #5Actions of the week, making it easy for you to quickly catch up on our most urgent campaigns. This week we're talking about gun safety, food stamps, and family separation. We're also eager to capture your stories around the school-to-prison pipeline, and meet you at events in Washington, Oregon and California. Read on for more details, and thank you for all you do! 1. Tell Congress: No more military-style assault weapons and high-cap magazines! BACKGROUND: Last Sunday morning, a man wearing nothing but a green jacket walked into a Waffle House in Antioch, TN, and...

Happy Friday! We're back with our top #5Actions of the week, making it easy for you to quickly catch up on our most urgent campaigns. Today is the #NationalSchoolWalkOut, and students across the country are speaking out about the need for gun safety. Please join us in sending them a note of encouragement. It's also an all-hands-on-deck moment for SNAP, and we need to speak out about the awful cuts that the U.S. House proposed in the Farm Bill. Please take a moment to take action on these issues - and more - via the top #5Actions list below! Then ... relax and enjoy your weekend, knowing you'...

It's another big week! Equal Pay Day was April 10, Tax Day is coming up on the 17th, and the Farm Bill has been introduced! Please take a moment to take action on all of these issues - and more - via the top #5Actions list below! Then ... relax and enjoy your weekend, knowing you've done good work and raised your voice about issues that matter. Thank you! 1. April 10 Was #EqualPayDay. Tell Congress how you feel (we'll send your signature AND an emoji!) BACKGROUND: This week was Equal Pay Day. Again. The day that marks how far a woman typically has to work into 2018 to make what men were paid...

Were you able to join our incredible Town Hall meeting with Senator Elizabeth Warren on Thursday night? We couldn't be more excited to move into this next election season with some exciting plans and a firm commitment to helping parents get to the polls! Don't worry if you missed it - there's lots more to come. Please find our weekly top #5Actions list below. Be sure to share with friends and family too. Thanks! 1. Demand Justice for Stephon Clark! BACKGROUND: The police brutality epidemic in the United States is at an all time high. Over and over again, we have watched men and women of color...

With the student leaders’ call to VOTE, VOTE, VOTE still ringing in our ears, MomsRising is gearing up to make sure as many people as possible heed that call. Through our #MomsVote program, we're getting ready to get out the vote — including making sure as many people as possible are registered and at the polls on Election Day! Read on for exciting information about our launch meeting net Thursday with special guest U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren! This week's #5Actions lineup also includes hot actions calling on Senate Majority Leader McConnell to allow Senator Duckworth to do her job while...

Happy Friday! Are you marching about gun safety tomorrow? Moms, dads, grandparents, family members and other caretakers couldn’t be more proud as we watch students across the nation rise up to fight for their own gun safety. And now, it’s time for the big event: March 4 Our Lives! Whether you’re marching in person or in spirit, join us to say "I stand with students" and we'll email you helpful resources including a downloadable sign! This week's #5Actions lineup also includes hot actions around breast pumps, healthcare, Facebook's Messenger Kids app, and more. Be sure to scroll to the end for...